Culture Marketing + Creative Communications

The Science

The Horizontal Race

“To keep fuelling growth, an expansion in the range and types of items on offer has to be on the cards, in some shape of form.”

“Both Casper and Lunya (mattress brands) have found clever ways to move the brand on from its original proposition - and transformed them into more robust wellness brands.

Casper launched its own magazine, Woolly, dog beds and is opening a number of physical locations. Lunya, meanwhile has just opened its first New York store. Stocked with more than just pyjamas: sleep-inducing candles, glass bottles for bedside tables and eye masks.

It’s a lesson that any mono-product brand can take to heart.” Courier Magazine, 2018.

Over in the arts, artists are finding new paths to profit via a similar approach.

“Today’s contemporary artists have spread the scope of art and altered the ways in which it is valued. Just look at the 89-year old Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama. Her reputation was built over a series of widely attended immersive installations. But one can also follow her on Instagram, buy one of her T-shits, or purchase her small painted cast-resin pumpkins.

“Kusama’s reputation is now just as valuable as her actual art.” Marine Tanguay, CEO MT Art Agency

On the other end of the spectrum, Will Burns for Forbes comments on Polaroid’s decline for. Edwin Land wowed the world by proving that photography could be an instant experience. What about applying that brand idea to other things? Like instant food? Or instant-on cars?

“They let the horizontal world pass by their vertical addiction to instant film. And they hit the bottom of the well.”

The consumer appetite

‘Will 2019 mark peak Instagram? Brands and consumers are starting to push back on what has become a cynical culture of visually novel experiences designed expressly to inspire sharing.

“In a mature social-media landscape, where consumers are more sophisticated than ever, the path from enthusiasm to saturation, then backlash has been steeply accelerated.

“Brands are assuming a more meaningful role in consumers’ lives, becoming civic leaders, advocates, even therapists, driving dialogue change and stepping in to solve world problems.“